tailwindlabs/tailwindcss · error · Error

Error in the config file/plugin/preset. An empty preset (`pr

Error message

Error in the config file/plugin/preset. An empty preset (`preset: []`) is not currently supported.

What it means

Thrown in `resolve-config.ts` when `config.presets` is an array of length zero. Tailwind v4 treats an explicitly empty `presets: []` as a distinct (and unsupported) intent — disabling all presets via an empty array is not implemented. The guard fires before iterating presets.

Source

Thrown at packages/tailwindcss/src/compat/config/resolve-config.ts:162

      // Happens with `plugin.withOptions()` when no options were passed:
      // e.g. `require("my-plugin")` instead of `require("my-plugin")(options)`
      plugins.push({ ...plugin(), reference, src })
    } else if ('handler' in plugin) {
      // Happens with `plugin(…)`:
      // e.g. `require("my-plugin")`
      //
      // or with `plugin.withOptions()` when the user passed options:
      // e.g. `require("my-plugin")(options)`
      plugins.push({ ...plugin, reference, src })
    } else {
      // Just a plain function without using the plugin(…) API
      plugins.push({ handler: plugin, reference, src })
    }
  }

  // Apply configs from presets
  if (Array.isArray(config.presets) && config.presets.length === 0) {
    throw new Error(
      'Error in the config file/plugin/preset. An empty preset (`preset: []`) is not currently supported.',
    )
  }

  for (let preset of config.presets ?? []) {
    extractConfigs(ctx, { path, base, config: preset, reference, src })
  }

  // Apply configs from plugins
  for (let plugin of plugins) {
    ctx.plugins.push(plugin)

    if (plugin.config) {
      extractConfigs(ctx, {
        path,
        base,
        config: plugin.config,
        reference: !!plugin.reference,

View on GitHub (pinned to 16e94cbf7f)

Solutions

1. Remove the `presets: []` key entirely so Tailwind uses its default behavior.
2. If you want a custom preset set, provide at least one preset entry in the array.
3. Override individual theme keys directly instead of trying to clear presets.

Example fix

// before (tailwind.config.js)
module.exports = { presets: [] }
// after
module.exports = {} // or omit the presets key

function assertPresetsValid(config) {
  if (Array.isArray(config.presets) && config.presets.length === 0) {
    throw new Error('presets: [] is unsupported; omit the key instead');
  }
}
// assertPresetsValid(config);

When it happens

Trigger: Writing `module.exports = { presets: [] }` to try to disable default presets. `Array.isArray(config.presets) && config.presets.length === 0` is true.

Common situations: Migrating a v3 config that set `presets: []` to opt out of defaults; attempting to start from a blank slate.

Related errors

• Error in the config file/plugin/preset. The `content` key co
• Cannot apply unprefixed utility class `${candidate}`. Did yo
• Cannot apply utility class `${candidate}` because it has bee
• `@plugin` must have a path.
• Unexpected `@plugin` option: Value of declaration `${toCss([

AI-assisted analysis of tailwindlabs/tailwindcss@16e94cbf7f (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1e4d347bcac25cac. Report an issue: GitHub.